Windows 10: Anyone Having Odd "Critical Update" Warnings When Using Firefox?

Well, at the risk of labouring the point, I still think, that in this case, the advice to disable automatic updates is problematic.

The initial question was about some popup that spoke of the need to install a critical update, in which the answer should have been to ignore it, because Firefox won't, in its default automatic update state, popup such a request; such a thing is bogus. You then suggested that in order to always be clear that a message to update is fake, to disable automatic updates in Firefox, because then there'd never be a message if Firefox wasn't updating. Problem is that that is still giving the popups some implied credence rather than ignoring them for what they are. The important thing to make clear to the OP was that such popups should be ignored, not that you change settings to make ignoring them supposedly moot.

BTW, Mozilla tends to turn back on automatic updates now and then, in order to ensure that people do get security updates and are not stuck on old and insecure versions. Many savvy and self-proclaimed power users complain of this hand holding, yet Mozilla will, now and then, change the settings despite complaints, unless you add a line to a user.js file in your profile, etc to stop it from doing so.

You cite the recent CCleaner exploit and then use that to justify turning off automatic updates in Firefox. OK, that thing did happen and a few of CCleaner's users were caught out. However, the amount of people out there that uses that "cleaning" tool is fairly niche and not that widespread. You'll say that an exploit of that kind could affect more popular software, and you'd have a point, but I'll wager that thousands times more people have been bitten by exploits in out of date software and plugins over the years.

In the last two decades I've had the experience to witness and help to fix so many users who either didn't keep up with software updates or chose not to do so, then get infected and wonder why. They'd say that they wanted to keep some feature that had changed or gone missing in future versions or that they plain forgot. Some of these users would consider themselves savvy, too. Why do you think that Mozilla forces the automatic updates back on now and then? Sure, it could be because they want you to play with their new features, but it's also because of the amount of times people have been found wanting due to old and insecure versions that they've doggedly or unwittingly kept to, which has led to exploits spreading.

Now, as you say, an experienced user can weigh the risks and if they're on the ball all the time, they can manually update. Sure, that I can agree with with caveats. But we don't know at what level the OP or other users who read your post are at or how determined they'd be in future to keep up with every update of software that's on their device. Great if the OP ends up like you or other forum members here, but right now we don't know if that'll be the case.

So for now, I'd advise that the OP sticks to keeping automatic updates on, ignores such alarming update messages and tries to learn through experience. Over time, they might well decide to disable automatic updates, but for now I'd advise against it.

Anyway, it seems that we're coming at this issue from different directions. I suppose it's a case of agree to disagree. Plus, I worry that I'll be boring the OP, yourself and other forum members with my ramblings. *Wink

 

Lets agree to disagree, but I like to quick comments on 3 things you said before I am gone. *Smile

I been disabling automatic updates in Firefox for 9 years, never seen that happen. If you disable automatic updates, stays disabled.

To have a safe computing experience, you have to know what you install in the computer, and keep up with the programs you install. Knowing your programs and tracking their development is part of learning security.

The only issue I have with you advise is that you have basically been saying don't do nothing. Stay the same.

But at least now, you modified that view and added "learn through experience." And that is basically my point. Experience gives you knowledge and the power to become a safer user. Later.

Bo